A Puppet On Her Strings
by Ronnen
Summary: Haku's ponderings of Chihiro, the one he cherishes, are abruptly interrupted by the enigmatic appearance of a red-haired specter. Will Haku find new love again or be doomed to chase Chihiro's figment forever?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own nor do I claim to own the copyrights to any mentioned characters or places. _

_This is my first published fanfiction, please enjoy and critique. I apologize in advance if I missed any errors, keep me updated on those!_

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**Prologue: Eye of the Beholder**

A young man stood at the water's edge. His soft green eyes spanned the horizon's width and breadth, seeking anything; the darting white speck of an aft gull, perhaps a fish mouthing his prayers at the water's undulating surface. The waves gently kissed his bare ankles, murmuring their reverence before bowing backward into the ocean. The man allowed his pale hands to drape gracefully at his sides, his slender white fingers plucking absentmindedly at the white robes that clothed him. His name was Haku and to this sea he belonged--to the water and to each shore it touched. The wind swept through his black hair, cooling the sides of his face as he gazed at nothing in particular.

He felt a firm heat crown the back of his head. The sun crested the bluffs to his back, shortening the shadow in which he sheltered. He didn't care to notice, however, as his thoughts couldn't be further from the serenity around him.

Chihiro. The only soul he had ever loved. Though it had seemed weeks to him since he last held her, years had passed in her world. His eyes dipped to his long toes. He could feel her forgetting about him. As his face left her thoughts, his connection to the mortal world steadily faded. He sighed through his nose. How could she have already forgotten? Her love had been so real to him. Wasn't it...?

_'Nobody can love a river,' _he thought. Rivers are mere vessels to larger bodies of water. Their significance is often lost to those who, like the current, wash by year after year paying no heed to their passing surroundings. So Chihiro passed him by, leaving the wake of her promises and the sting of her memory behind. He could almost make her out in his mind's eye, feel her dark eyelashes flit against his cheek, hear the docile sweet laugh, the warmth of her arm in the bend of his. These were his dearest memories.

A touch on his shoulder brought him back around.

"Haku, you're needed in the bath house. I'm sorry to bother you, but Yubaba would like a word."

Lin was a pretty girl. Haku had always admired her bold personality yet professional aloofness. However, he despised her sense of timing. He turned slowly to face her, his eyes instantly losing their softness. He couldn't allow a mere worker, yet alone a gossip catch him with his mind wandering.

"Yes, Lin. Please get in the habit of addressing me correctly. I'd hate to see you scolded again for your mistake."

She smiled quaintly, cocking an eyebrow.

"Still got a stick up your ass about Chihiro, huh? C'mon _Master_ Haku, you've got business upstairs."

With that she turned abruptly, wading towards the faint parallel rails of the train track, her blush pink work robes cinched high as to not part the water behind her. Haku stared after her, glad to be alone again. It always amazed and slightly miffed him that she could see through his cold front as though a thin shroud pervaded him. She barely knew him, yet seemed to understand him so intimately. Perhaps this was one last ripple of Chihiro, left to torment and remind him of her fondness of Lin.

He waved these thoughts from his mind as he turned toward the open sea before hindering Yubaba's summons. No change. The sea never held such consistency for him. He remembered when he was a river, young and prone to energy, surging forth with ferocity and grace. He had flowed into the ocean, a single thread in a great tapestry of water that grew neither still nor stagnant. How different were the waters here; how foreign, like himself. He had never felt out of place in the spirit realm; but now that Chihiro was gone, he felt simultaneously yanked into two opposing directions. The water twisted and sighed, settling into a semi-uniform sheet. The briny air stung his eyes and the sharp coolness of the breeze filled him with serenity. It was time to go.

As Haku begrudgingly turned to face the bath house, a glimmer of red caught the corner of his eye. A girl stood on the water naught a league out, her long red hair as bright as freshly spilled blood. She seemed to stare past him, then, as though a vision, scattered as dust before the wind.

Such things were not unusual in the spirit realm, though the sighting bothered Haku. He strode quickly and evenly--or as evenly as he could manage to appear--through the shallows gaping the span between the cliffs and the bath house. He did not care to look back.

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Yubaba's office always smelled of finely ground cinnamon. The sharp smell had become an unwelcome nuisance to Haku over the long, droll years of servitude for the ancient witch. His eyes flickered at the familiar sight of Yubaba's cluttered desk--it was perhaps the only point of non-consistency within the premises of the large room. Small crystal vials containing various shades of pigment were scattered in an awkward formation within an old wicker basket hanging haphazardly off a corner. Old parchment, some rolled, most opened and blotted, scattered the desk's surface like ugly butterflies, binding contracts and payments between customer and bath house with a flimsy soundness. Coins and gems littered the plain of papers like gawdy patroners, basking in their glow as the late sunlight bathed them. Yubaba's thick, heavily-adorned fingers scratched at a document, sounding much like a cacophony of rodents might scampering across a bare wooden floor. Her gnarly bejeweled fingers caught the sunlight, glinting shades of green, violet, and ruby across the woven carpet.

Haku patiently stood beside the balcony, his body trained to silence. The sound of Yubaba's pen met a flourish, signaling the finality of her current work. She flicked aside her pen with a clatter, slowly turning one bespectacled eye upon her quiet guest.

"Haku, I can't keep you here anymore. Now that you've stolen your name back from me, there's nothing I can do to bind you to my service. You're worthless to me now. Go make yourself useful somewhere else; I'm no longer paying to feed an extra mouth."

The line of her mouth cinched tight against her chin, drawing taught rivets from her cheekbones to the corners of her lips.

"Yubaba, I have offered to stay and offer my--"

"I told you I didn't want you here anymore. My word on this is final. I have no room for a disobedient river spirit in such a busy bath house. You're only getting in the way," she interrupted.

"Yes, Yubaba," Haku said graciously, bowing his chin respectfully. "I will take my leave immediately. I hope not to be a hindrance after you have offered me sanctuary for so long."

Yubaba lifted a leaf of parchment from her desk, intent on adding to the violent mess of paperwork on her desk.

"Out of personal curiosity, where do you intend to go?"

"To find Chihiro."

Yubaba cackled harshly, tossing back her disheveled head and snorting through her prominent nose. "You think you can enter the world of the living to find that brat? Haku, you're a dead spirit. You are no longer connected to that world. How foolish! If I knew you were so stupid, I wouldn't have kept you around for so long as my apprentice."

He eyed her frostily, though maintained his respectful stance.

"She's still alive and well. As long as she thinks of me, there is a way."

At this, the witch paused, lost in some form of thought. Her eyes glittered malevolently as she turned to face her former apprentice.

"You think you can cross the boundaries of life and death? What a joke. But still, it might be interesting to watch you fail. You truly are an idiot, boy, and you've much to learn about the world of spirits," she sighed pointedly, leaning on one elbow. "Now get out of my sight. You're distracting me from my work."

Haku lowered his chin respectfully once again, perhaps out of habit or perhaps because he never intended to return. Wordlessly he slipped onto the balcony, shuttering the doors behind him.

The wind danced across his face, tearing through his hair with such ambition that he felt it wanted his scalp to sail away. His sage green eyes squinted against the current, tears forming in their corners. He lifted a hand against the onslaught, shielding his face so that he might see. Haku could remember the wind howling by with righteous vindication often, carrying with it morose sometimes, ofttimes naught but new faces. He was ready for change again, for a lack of monotony. He yearned for the open sky above him, that blue beacon of mysterious intrigue that lead him often into his misadventures. One thought struck him as he threw himself from the balcony_--'Chihiro, I'm coming for you.'_


	2. I: A Stranger

**A/N:** _Sorry for the long wait! It's been forever, I am SO sorry; life has been insane lately! I hope you enjoy this chapter, I am only mildly satisfied with it. As this story is dedicated to a close friend of mine, I am trying to write it as accurately as possible. This is for the memory of our role plays together..._

_Without further ado, I introduce Marina. Before you write her off as a "dumb OC" please give her a chance. If you have a suggestion for an improvement, please don't hesitate in leaving a review! I greatly appreciate reviews! PLEASE LEAVE ONE! 8D_

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She didn't like being bothered. The sharp rap on the cast iron door jangled in its deep, iconic reverence, echoing through the small room in what seemed to be a never ending cacophony. Her sapphire eyes watered as the sound edged across her mind like a keenly slicing blade. She pressed a delicate hand against her forehead. The migraine would pass in time.

This was why she did not welcome disturbance.

"What do you want," she asked in raised tones, the crack in her voice surprising her.

"I'm coming in. We need to talk, you and me, girl," came the arbitrary response, muffled by the weighty door. The blue-eyed girl rose to her knees, her bright crimson hair a disheveled fire of tangled untidiness. She brushed a thick lock out of her eyes, dabbing at the moisture blurring her vision. From outside, the rattling of chains and the click of a padlock startled her senses.

She hoped this meeting would be better than the last. The thick metal handle protruding from the door turned inward and the rusty hinges groaned under their burden. The girl sat very still, her fists clenching the sullied blankets adorning her small, dirty mattress.

She always noticed his dark eyes first, pupilless brown beads sheltered by the ledges of his coarse black eyebrows. His shoulders were wide and strong, suggesting one who took pride in their power to intimidate rather than the strength they were endowed. Even his hands seemed tense, always at the ready, two scarred fists of sinew and bone. Raliu was his name. She had known him by nothing else.

Raliu's signature muddy green boots dragged across the dirt floor as though they carried some impossibly heavy weight beyond the bulk of his frame. He smiled lopsidedly, though the grin was dark and unfriendly. The man stopped a few paces from her, his canvas coat rustling passively as he crossed his large arms.

"Well well, Marina. We've only just begun, you an' I. I've got another job for you. You know what happens when you don't cooperate, don't you?"

He tilted his head to the left and chuckled as he scratched at his unshaven chin.

The girl glowered at him menacingly, though she knew her scathing glare could only do so much to tame her rage. She knew she was powerless against this man, however, so she buried her feelings beneath a mask of indifference.

Raliu burst into a sudden fit of laughter, his gleeful chortling resounding throughout the chamber. As hastily as it had started, so it ended. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped the girl full across the face. She bit the inside of her cheek, exhaling sharply as the taste of blood saturated her mouth. This unexpected violence left her head reeling. She felt immediately nauseated and leaned to one side to retch over the bed. Raliu growled, hefting the half coherent woman to her feet by the throat.

"You don't have to like the fact that you're here. You're lucky you're still alive, you know. I have no problem killing self-righteous bitches like you. So if you're not doing your job, you're not useful to me anymore. And if you're not useful to me...well, let's just say you'd be better off if you were dead."

He spat in her face and threw her to the ground.

"Do your job, you get what we promised. Do you understand me?"

Marina shakily turned to face him.

"I'll do what you ask. Just please...don't hurt him."

Raliu eyed her coldly.

"What I do with my prize is my business. You just get me Haku. The rest is none of your concern."

"How do you want me to do it this time?" she whispered numbly.

"The same way you always get me my bounty...make him love you. Who could resist such a pretty face, such an enigma? You're a mystery, girl. And as they all do, they're regret unraveling that mystery, because I'm at the end of the road."

She knew he was a monster, that his soul was charred past recognition. Though he was cold, she had some hope that Raliu his soul's nature would revive in time. However, it seemed now as though any time left for a second chance had passed. Now, the husk of something once whole was all that remained, she in his capture, tortured as his eternal prisoner. Were all good souls weak and doomed to servitude? Where had the strength gone? When had she lost herself in darkness? These were questions she constantly strove to answer, but the solution never came.

All she knew was what she was expected to do, that which she had done time and time again. This was the same story on a different page. Even though the heart was never the same as the last, it would end in capture and despair. Who was that black-haired man who stood on upon the edge of misery and loss? She did not know. But she knew she would learn soon enough.

As Raliu slammed the door behind him and secured each lock in place, Marina lay upon her lonely cot, pondering how she should win her freedom. She rubbed the saliva from her face on a filthy sheet, paging through her memory of this Haku. She did not cry. She had long since decided against shedding her precious few tears. To allow the devouring of this soul was inevitable. But at what cost? Fevered thoughts consumed her as she relented to the night.

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Haku rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, brushing away the last vestiges of sleep that clung to his thick lashes. He felt dampness on his face and clothes, droplets of dew huddled in the valleys of his blanket like tiny round gems. Rolling on to his side, he breathed in the fresh forest air. It smelled cool and alive, as though each plant was vibrating with energy, forcing a way through their brothers in an eternal conquest to reach the sun. Birds hummed and whizzed through the trees like tiny aircrafts, curious of the intruder beneath their eves but too cautious to move nearer to investigate.

Light dappled Haku's body in patches of yellow-green and gold, warming him as he mulled over the approaching day. _'Today, I'll find a way to Chihiro. I'm sure of it. Nothing binds me to this world now,'_ he thought. Images of the bath house and Yubaba flashed through his mind and he despaired. But with a sudden realization he could, he pushed them away. Yubaba no longer held sway over him. He relished in this thought, smiling inwardly. He had hated the greedy witch with a vengeance he had never experienced during his life and was glad to be rid of her and her equally money-grubbing attendants.

With a sigh, he sat up and prepared to dress. He pulled his long white shirt over his naked chest, tugging it to float loosely across his flat stomach like a lifeless sail. He rubbed his arms as the cold fabric touched his skin, pulling on his pants quickly to avoid the cold morning air. Smoothing his long dark hair back with his fingers, he tied it in a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was now ready for the day and for Chihiro. He couldn't help but smile, his green eyes reflecting the joy of his new-found freedom and the promise of seeing his beloved again. Grabbing his blanket, he tucked it away in the canvas sack of his belongings and set out at once, eager to find the edge of the world so he could attempt to cross to the other side.

The day soon grew hot and Haku found the trip across the uneven land more than arduous. He stopped often to rest beneath the shade, not allowing his spirits to be dampened by the exhaustion of his journey. The sea stretched out before him like a seamless piece of silk, undulating into the horizon as though drifting on the wind. The occasional breeze met his face, cooling it from the stifling sweat congregating on his brow. He drank from a water skin on his hip, wishing more than a little that he hadn't lost the ability to fly when Chihiro broke the curse of his name.

As the sun climbed the peak of the sky, he decided it was time to break for a meal. He had started early without eating, so he was considerably hungry. He found a log situated in the shade on the edge of a clearing and sat to eat. He ate in silence, listening to the birdsong and soft lapping of waves in the distance. His thoughts moved once again to Chihiro. He wondered what she looked like…perhaps taller now? Was her hair longer or had she kept it short to appease their childhood meeting? This he doubted, but it still amused him to imagine. She wouldn't be a little girl anymore, he realized. She'd be a woman now, her thin figure adorned with the curves of adulthood. He blushed as he imagined her matured body and tried rather unsuccessfully to focus on the rice cake he was eating.

He started at the sound of breaking branches only feet behind him. He whirled suddenly, crouched and ready to attack, a defensive spell upon his lips. But to his surprise, before him stood an unarmed young woman, the same he had seen only the day before. She held up her hands in a passive gesture, her clear blue eyes wide with panic.

"Please…don't be frightened. I didn't mean to startle you. I saw you standing there and I…" She trailed off, her eyes darting to the fallow ground clenched between her toes. She was poorly dressed. Haku assumed she was a lesser spirit, those of which who wander the world unbound to any location.

"No, don't," Haku reassured her. "I was only surprised for a moment. What is your name? And why are you following me?"

She stared at her feet.

"I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Chihiro…what is yours?"

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_OH HO HO I MAKE CLIFF HANGER. So...what's Marina playing at? We'll find out next chapter. ;)_


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